Apparatus for the operation of regulator valves



3,496,392 APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF REGULATOR VALVES Filed Apr-1L5, 1967 Feb; 17, 1970 R. R. RENAULT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGB 9, w l o v 7 E 1 Feb. 17, 1970 RENAULT 3,496,392

APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF REGULATOR VALVES Filed April 5, 1 3 Sheets-Sheet z APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF REGULATOR vALvEs Filed April 5, 1967 R. R. RENAULT Feb. 17, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.4

United States Patent Office 3,496,392 APPARATUS FOR THE OPERATION OF REGULATOR VALVES Robert Roger Renault, 20 Avenue Albine, Maisons-Lafiitte, Yveliues, France Filed Apr. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 628,642 Claims priority, application France, Apr. 6, 1966, 56,694, 56,695 Int. Cl. H02k 7/00 U.S. Cl. 310-37 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for the operation of regulator valves comprises a central oscillating ring which can be coupled to an output shaft to drive the latter in steps in either direction of rotation through the intermediary of a coupling arrangement which is constituted by rollers placed between flat surfaces of a boss secured to the output shaft and the inner surface of the oscillating ring, the rollers being selectively displaceable in opposite directions to be wedged between the surfaces of the boss and the ring to couple the same and control the direction of rotation transmitted by the ring to the boss. The rollers are jointly connected to turnable Washers which are turned by moving a disc axially along the output shaft, the disc being connected to one end of a helical spring whose other end is connected to one of the washers. A pivotal, forked lever is attached to the disc to displace the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for the operation of regulator valves.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for the operation of regulator valves comprising, in combination, a motor for producing an oscillatory movement of a predetermined frequency to a ring, an output shaft adapted to be driven by the oscillatory movements and a device for transforming the oscillating movement of the ring into a rotary movement of the output shaft, said device comprising on the output shaft a boss provided with one or more planar surfaces, the ring being disposed coaxially with said output shaft and centered on the said boss, jamming members being interposed between the planar surfaces of the boss and the said ring, and means being provided to move the said jamming members selectively in either direction to wedge them between the boss and the ring, which thus applies a rotary movement to the output shaft when the ring oscillates in one direction and applies no movement to the output shaft when it oscillates in the other direction.

This apparatus is suited for instantaneous engagement and disengagement as well as reversal of the direction of rotation of the output shaft. The engaging device can furthermore be placed in a neutral position for which the oscillating movement of the ring is not transmitted to the output shaft.

The movement of the motor proper is transmitted directly to the ring without reduction, and consequently, with no loss of energy.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the motor proper consists of an electromagnetic motor, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view of part of the motor, perpendicular to its axis, taken along the line II of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is an axial cross-section taken along the line IIII of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a detailed cross-section taken in the direction of arrow F of FIG. 4,

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 1, and

3,496,392 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 FIGURE 5 is a portion of FIG. 2 in a larger scale.

The electro-magnetic motor comprises an armature 1 having four arms 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d, disposed evenly about the periphery of a central ring portion. Arms 1a, 1b, and 1c carry magnets 2, provided with pole faces 3. Magnets 2 are surrounded by a magnetic shield, of aluminum alloy for instance, constituting a turn opposing demagnetization.

Around the magnets 2 are disposed magnetic circuits 5, for example magnetized sheet metal, and bearing windings 6.

Passage of an alternating current through the windings 6 causes a variation of polarities in the arms of the magnetic circuits 5, and the magnets 2, alternately attracted and repelled by these circuits, impart a regular oscillating movement to armature 1. Springs 7 carried on the fourth arm 1d of the armature 1 and bearing on bosses of the stationary framework of the motor, mechanically synchronizing the frequency of the oscillations of armature 1 to the frequency of the electric current used. This synchronization is adjusted by means of additional shields.

The electrical current may be an alternating current with a square or other shaped sine signal, from alternating sources or from direct current sources transformed into alternating current by means of a vibrator, a transistorized device, or by other means. There is no objection to using transistors to this end as the motor has the considerable advantage of causing no current draw on starting. It also has the advantage of being able to remain disabled when it is live without mishap, the motor consuming very much less electric power when it is disabled than when it is in use, contrary to rotary motors of a known type.

The motor can also operate in response to direct current impulses emitted by a manually or automatically controlled device.

A description follows of the engaging device for transforming the oscillating movement of the armature 1 into a continuous rotary movement, in either direction of an output shaft 12, to which a low torque is thus applied, this being the aim sought in various applications, and especially in driving valves.

A central ring 11 on which the armature 1 is mounted is centered on a three-sided boss 11a of the output shaft 12, and is coaxial therewith.

Between the ring 11 and the three surfaces of the boss 11a are inserted three hollow rollers 13 through which extend shafts 14 fixed to two spaced, turnable washers 15. Resilient parts 16, for example toric joints of rubber, are centered on the shafts 14 at each end of the rollers 13 to compensate for any mis-alignment.

In their median position, the rollers 13 have no jamming action and by their construction remain in the median position between the bosses 11a and shaft 12 and oscillating movements of the ring 11 are not transmitted to the output shaft 12 which remains motionless. This position corresponds to a dead center of the engagement between the rollers 13 and the flat surfaces of bosses 11a.

It is also obvious that it is only necessary to move the rollers 13 in the space formed between the flat surfaces of bosses 11a and the ring 11, by means of an appropriate device, for the oscillatory movements of ring 11 to be transmitted to shaft 12, in one direction of rotation only, return oscillating movements in the other direction having no effect on the output shaft 12.

Movement and locking of the rollers 13 at one of the side ends of their housing can be effected by any suitable means. In the form of embodiment shown in the drawings these means comprise spiral springs 17 pivotally mounted on shafts 18 rigidly secured to a sleeve 19 mounted on the output shaft 12. At one of their ends springs 17 are engaged with-one of the washers 15 to which the shafts 14 of rollers 13 are rigidly fixed. At the other end thereof these springs 17 are rigidly secured to a disc 20, concentrically mounted about the sleeve 19 for axial displacement therealong. Movement of the disc 20 parallel to the axis of the output shaft 12, results in tension or compression of the springs 17, according to the direction of movement, causing angular movement of Washers 15, and thereby the rollers 13 are moved. A forked lever 21 (FIG. 3) is pivotally mounted by pivot pins 22 on the stationary framework 23 of the motor and activated by suitable motor means 25, such as an electro-magnetic, hydraulic, mechanical or pneumatic control device to drive disc 20 through shoes 24 imparting the desired movements thereto. The forked lever is not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in order to simplify these figures.

Naturally any other suitable control system for moving the disc 20 can also be employed.

It will be noted that the engaging device in accordance with the invention is self-locking and self-unlocking and that the operations of engagement and disengagement are effected instantaneously and Without inertia.

Naturally it is not a departure from the scope of the invention to use an engaging device in which the boss 11a of output shaft 12 is circular, hollows corresponding to surfaces of the boss 11a described hereinabove being, in this case, provided within the ring 11.

As already stated, the apparatus according to the invention takes up a very limited space, while exerting extremely substantial motor torques. Thus, a servo-motor built by the applicant only weighs 15 kg. and enables a force of 2,500 kg. to be exerted on the driving rod of a valve, whereas the hydraulic motors usually used for such applications weigh at least 250 kg. and only enable a force of 700 kg. to be exerted on the valve rods.

The apparatus according to the invention has the further advantage of being utilizable for control of valves with step-by-step feed, obtained by supplying a predetermined number of impulses into the magnetic circuit assembly.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for the operation of regulator valves comprising a motor including a central oscillating ring, an output shaft coaxially disposed within said ring for being driven thereby, and means coupling said shaft and ring for transforming the oscillating movement of the ring into a rotary movement of the output shaft, said means comprising a boss on the output shaft having a plurality of planar surfaces facing said ring, said planar surfaces being equidistant from the center of the output shaft, a cylindrical roller interposed between each of said planar surfaces'of the boss and said ring, each'said roller having a median position in which oscillating movement of the ring is not transmitted to said boss and thereby to said output shaft, and means for moving the rollers selectively in either direction to wedge them between the respective surfaces of the boss and the ring which thus applies. a rotary movement to the output shaft when the ring oscillates in one direction and applies no movement to the output shaft when it oscillates in the other direction, the latter means comprising an angularly turnable Washer secured to each of said rollers, a disc extending parallel to said Washer, a pivotal lever engaging said disc to move the same towards and away from said washer, and a helical spring having one end secured to said disc and an opposite end secured to said washer to cause the latter to be turned as the disc is moved where-by the rollers are wedged between the surfaces of the boss and the ring, said rollers being moved in a selected direction in accordance with the direction of turning of the washers which in turn is governed by the direction of pivotal movement of the lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,958,793 11/1960 Lonnqvist 310-37 2,741,712 4/1956 Lonnqvist 310-37 2,762,479 9/ 1 6 Ullery 192-45 2,569,108 9/1951 Koch 192-45 XR 3,097,316 7/1963 Barden et a1 310-92 XR 2,881,621 4/1959 Prendergast et al. 310-37 XR 2,825,826 3/1958 Sundt 310-37 3,143,674 8/1964 Bond 310-37 2,845,920 8/ 1958 Bruce. 1,670,197 5/1928 Hurnfrey 192-45 3,211,012 10/1965 Murai 74-88 1,692,409 11/1928 Hobbs 310-37 XR 2,548,731 4/1951 Lehde. 3,217,192 11/1965 Feightner 310-20 XR 2,959,969 11/1960 Leland et al 310-24 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 1,018,709 11/1953 France.

814,967 7/1937 France.

) MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner B. A. REYNOLDS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

